Sales techniques can always assist small businesses

Huntsville Forester

HUNTSVILLE - Selling is often thought to be only for those special people that have a gift for it, and is considered by many to be the most difficult part of running a small business. As small business owners, most of us don’t have the luxury of hiring professional salespeople, so it might be valuable to review a few selling techniques that anyone can apply. We all know someone that has the gift of the gab and whom we feel is a natural born salesperson, but the truth is there is a lot more to selling than being able to talk.
One of the most overlooked skills in the selling process is something we can all become good at with a little practice, and that is listening. Listening carefully to your customers allows you to learn what they are really looking for, putting you in a much better position to satisfy their needs. Listening to someone makes that person feel valued, and helps establish a relationship that goes beyond money. Most of us feel better purchasing from someone who cares enough to get to know us a little and takes an interest in more than just our money.
Asking the right questions and listening carefully to the answers will help us learn about a customer’s biases and fears, so we can take these into account when pitching our product to them. For example, if we learn that a customer doesn’t trust a certain brand, we can offer a different brand if we have one, or we can inquire a little further to find out why not, and may be able to explain how current products under that brand have been improved to take care of the customer’s concerns, thereby improving our chances of making a sale.
Of course it’s important to have a thorough knowledge of your products, so you can explain how a particular product will meet a customer’s needs. Knowing your products means knowing the benefits, not just the features. A comfortable armchair offers not only features such as thick foam padding and attractive upholstery, it offers the benefits of rest and relaxation after a hard day’s work. If you don’t have what the customer needs, it’s important to know that as well, because talking someone into the wrong product for the sake of making a sale is not a long-term strategy for success.
If you’re selling services, you will be establishing a closer relationship with the customer so it’s even more important to get to know something about them, so you can pitch your services in a way they will find attractive and convincing. If, for example, you’re trying to sell lawn care services to a new prospect and you find out they had a bad experience with a previous lawn care company, by asking a little further you may be able to learn exactly what the problem was, and convince them that you will do better.
The nice thing about listening as part of the selling process is that we don’t have to do all the talking, and if we know our products and services thoroughly we aren’t stuck for something to say when it is our turn to talk.
The Muskoka Small Business Centre offers advice and assistance to start ups and established businesses. For more information call 705-646-9021 or visit www.muskokasmallbusiness.ca.